Iola in Waupaca County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

1999 Father's Day Fire

By Paul Fehrenbach, July 6, 2011

1. 1999 Father's Day Fire Marker (side 1)

Inscription. (side 1)
June 20, 1999 – Father’s Day – was disrupted by a blaze that destroyed seven buildings on the west side of Main Street in downtown Iola under a gorgeous blue-sky and calm weather. More than 200 firefighters from Iola, Scandinavia, and eight other Central Wisconsin fire departments, along with volunteers from the large group of bystanders, battled the blaze that destroyed historic century-old buildings, some dating to pre-1890. Eleven businesses and eleven apartments were engulfed by the flames. Shared basements and attics meant the fire easily sped from one building to the next in a short period of time. A towering plume of black smoke stuck out like a sore thumb in the blue sky.

By knocking down two buildings in the middle of the block, firefighters were able to stop the fire from spreading north to the rest of the block. Fortunately, no one was injured, although

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(side 2)

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two cats, one kitten and a dog perished in the blaze. Residents and business owners sifted through the rubble the days after but found little, although a wedding ring thought lost in the blaze was one of the treasured finds. Fire inspectors could pinpoint where the fire started among the burnt rubble, but not the reason

The determined village quickly rebuilt buildings so businesses could get back on their feet, but there is still a historical hole in the heart of Iola.

Erected 2010 by Iola Historical Society. (Marker Number 2.)

Location. 44° 30.454′ N, 89° 7.868′ W. Marker is in Iola, Wisconsin, in Waupaca County. Marker is at the intersection of North Main Street (State Highway 49/161) and State Street, on the right when traveling south on North Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 115 N. Main St., Iola WI 54945, United States of America.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on July 7, 2011, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 522 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on July 7, 2011, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.